Friday, June 30, 2006

Porsche Veyron Slayer

Porsche is reportedly releasing a new street legal GT1 Bugatti Veyron slayer. The GT1 will have 954 HP from either an upgraded version of the Cayenne V8 turbo or the V10 from the Carrera GT. It will be capable of 254 mph, faster than the current reigning street speed king, the Bugatti Veyron, only capable of 252 mph.

Reports are that the Veyron is working on an upgraded version, so the competition is on!!! I wonder where Ferrari is??? Posted by Picasa

Thursday, June 29, 2006

BMW M5 Clip



Check out this interesting BMW M5 video.

RUF Porsche on Track



I believe this RUF CTR2 Porsche was at the track in both Dallas and Bryan, TX last year when I was running. I think there is also a photo of it on my Enthusiasts page.

National Motorist Assn

I've been asked about where speed-traps are listed in the US. The National Motorist Association has a listing of speed traps here in the US. The NMA is also a great resource for other driving issues you may encounter with law enforcement.

Biodiesel Summit

Oct 11-13, 2006, there will be a biodiesel finance and investment summit in Minneapolis, MN attended by all the big name companies in the field. Go here to read more.

Car for Disabled


In Hungary, this Kenguru is a great way to get around for the disabled. Too bad it would probably not come to the US with our stringent crash test requirements. Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Transformer VW

Hummer for Texas Sheriff

This Hummer H2 with 700 HP and 28 inch rims is lurking about in some Texas county. It can go 155 mph. Be careful out there, and let me know where it is if you see it!!! Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

GM - 0% for 72

Chrysler is hurting, but the General beat them to the punch. In an effort to begin the summer selling craze, similar to 2005, General Motors is offering 0% financing for 6 years for most GM models. If you want a new GM product, now is the time to go out and buy one. This is probably the deal of the summer for GM.

The catch???? Currently through July 5th only. We'll see.... And, sorry...not on the Corvette. :-(((

Should You Install a Short Shift Kit???

People ask me, "Should I put a short shift kit in my car?". The answer is... It depends!

If you feel the "throw" (movement of the shifter) is too great, yes. If you want to make quicker shifts, yes. If you want to be "cool", yes.

If you don't have the strongest arms, or if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, no. Why? Because the shifter is shorter in length, which means you have to use more force to move the shift lever. Adding a short shift kit also makes it more difficult to get the car into the correct gear slot, a bit more "notchy", if you will.

My daily driver 98 BMW M3 has, I feel, a great throw and doesn't need to be changed. OTOH, I've driven an 03 Porsche Boxster S on the lot and feel it needs a short shift kit; the movement is too long. There's an 01 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra on the lot with a short shift, and I feel it's too short and notchy. Were I keeping the Cobra, I'd readjust the linkage to add some additional "throw". Most short shift kits are adjustable.

Chevron Car Parody

Monday, June 26, 2006

Lincoln Town Car Nears Extinction

Automotive News this week reports that the Lincoln Town Car is on the ropes. If Ford cuts the Town Car, how will everyone limo around...stretch Hummer's from GM???

Cayman S Beats M Coupe

Just out... Car and Driver Magazine just published a comparison article between the Porsche Cayman S and BMW M Coupe (Z4 based). The Cayman S came out on top, mostly due to a superior chassis on the Cayman.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Fuel Economy Tip #2

Check your tire pressures monthly. That's about once every 6 trips to the gas station. You'll save fuel, and probably even get a few more weeks or months of tire wear. The correct tire pressures should be in your owners manual, NOT on the tire.

Taylor Hicks Sells Ford



Here's the new Ford commercial with crossover appeal, compliments of Taylor Hicks and American Idol.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Talladega Nights



Not sure if you're a Will Ferrell fan or not, but here's a trailer for his upcoming movie.

Toyota Yaris



Here's the Toyota Yaris that they have designed to replace the Toyota Echo. Still good gas mileage, just a little more modern looking. The entry level Toyota in the US.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Sometimes, One Can Only Dream....



Call me a fool (or not), this is the car I'd like to have if I had the money right now. It's even the right color (but orange would do nicely, too).... :-)

Don't Try This at Home...



If you're like me, you might think you're pretty fast in your Porsche or BMW. How fast would you be in a Ford van on the Nurburgring in Germany?

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Wax On, Wax Off

So, you want to wax your car... It's not nearly as simple as...wax on and wax off....you know.

First, you have to wash it. You really don't wash it with water and soap, you wash it with the soap suds; top to bottom, front to back, in that order. If you're low on suds - get a new bucket of water with soap. And PLEASE, don't use dishwashing liquid whenever you wash because it takes off the wax that's already on the car. Dry the car with nice, soft towels.

Next, you have to clean the paint surface. Use a mild cleaner. I use a fine-cut clay, which you apply and use with something such as a detailing liquid. It's water and wax, basically. I use Meguiar's.

Now you have to fill-in the micro scratches you made with the cleaner. I use a new car glaze, which you put on like wax, but you wipe it off before it dries. You may need to use a fresh towel to remove the final bit of glaze because what you see in the paint will only be accentuated when you put on the wax. Finally, you can wax. I use both Meguiar's glaze and wax, number 7 and number 26, respectively.

You need to wax AT LEAST twice a year to clean and protect the paint. Or, go to a detail shop and pay $99 to have it done for you.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Skip Barber Series for 40+ Drivers

Click here to see a short clip about a new Skip Barber Racing series for 40+ drivers.

Go Mavericks!!!!

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Sirius or XM???

Tough Choice.

XM has a couple million more subscribers than Sirius. Both are growing at about the same rate. Porsche makes XM available. BMW uses Sirius. Howard Stern is on Sirius, (and not doing so well I hear, but I don't listen to him).

When I'm out of town and rent a car, and Hertz wants to be nice to me, their cars have Sirius. That's my only experience with it. I bought an Alpine unit for my Porsche a couple years ago; I didn't buy the XM upgrade.

You've gotta decide on this one....

Best Places to Get Tires

Unquestionably, the Tire Rack.

But, some folks may be adverse to the hastle of getting tires sent to your doorstep, then you need to haul them in your backseat to your local tire mounter.

So, I usually either go to Discount Tire or NTB. But, here's the secret. Go to Tire Rack to get the price of the tire you want, add $8 per tire for the shipping price, and that's the price you want Discount Tire or NTB to match. They'll do it, but you have to ask.

Porsche Tops Quality Survey

According to JD Power in a CNN article today, Porsche has topped the list for new car quality. JD Power changed their analysis this year to include design flaws that bothered consumers as well as actual defects.

BMW ranked well for low defects, but fell to midpoint due to design flaws that got under consumer's skin.

Flying Car



I was asked if we'll ever see a flying car in our lifetime. I'm 45, btw... This video is a testament that the answer is already....yes!!!

How to Know if a Vehicle has been in a Flood???

Well, there's no SURE way to know. BUT, a first check would be to run a Carfax to see where the vehicle came from. If it was in Louisiana around the time of the Katrina flooding, Carfax gives a warning note in the vehicle details.

Secondly, look for rust in strange places around the body of the car. Engine compartment, trunk, etc. Rust around sheet metal screws would be obvious.

Lasty, stick your nose right up against the a/c vents on the dash. If you get a musty smell, you might get suspicious about where the vehicle came from.

The Frog Meets BMW



If you've followed my blog, you know I once had a Buick nicknamed "the frog" by my brother. Now I'm more partial to BMWs. Perhaps this BMW video helps explain part of my transformation....

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Leaning Toward Smart Car...

Or so says DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche about selling the Smart car in the US. Some friends were asking me about it on Sunday. If there's some around, and one was reported here in Dallas, they're not being officially imported.

The best guess is that we'll see them later this year, though I'm still not sure that I want one..... Posted by Picasa

A Little More Drivers Education Would Help Us All

You see it too many times...someone has an accident with their car. Maybe it's your child, your friend, someone you don't even know. Could the accident have been prevented??? Ohhh, and how many of us have *weekly* near-miss driving incidents because someone does something near us without paying proper attention!!!

Getting a license in the US is *easy*. I self-taught my oldest son and he's been driving 2 years without a driving incident. Others are not nearly so lucky. State Farm told me that 80% of teens getting their license have an incident in the first year.

In Germany, I understand getting a license is not so easy. The test is much more rigorous, because, after all, that license can get the person driving on the German autobahn driving at very high speeds. Yet, sometimes we hear that teens are trying to do just the same thing on our streets....go faster than the legal limit (and we ALL know these limits are set low to help collect revenue - plus the subtle safety aspect).

Maybe the answer is to require people to take Drivers Education (no, not the one the US teens currently take). Now, the infrastructure isn't in place to do this today, but could be worked-on over time. Everyone who is 18-21 would attend a weekend driver education with a company such as The Drivers Edge driving with an instructor at speed learning car control. Over time, the drivers on the streets become much more capable and the accidents go down. Voilla!!!

Monday, June 05, 2006

Fuel Economy Tip #1

Use the fuel matching the octane number recommended by your car manufacturer.

I still have people telling me that they're using premium fuel on their Ford Escort. People, you're wasting your money. The car can't use the extra octane; in fact the fuel is LESS efficient than the lower levels of octane that their manufacturer recommends.

Rather, use a top-tier fuel manufacturer such as Chevron or Shell rather than a tier 2 provider such as Racetrac because the tier 1 providers usually have cleaning additives which will help keep your fuel intake system cleaner which leads to better efficiency and better mileage.

Once a year use RXP to keep the fuel system clean.

Sunday, June 04, 2006

How Often to Change the Oil???

Someone asked how often they should change their oil in their car or truck. If you are using conventional oil (not synthetic or a synthetic blend), change the oil every 3k miles or 1 year, which ever comes first. If your sticker says to change it for the calendar period, and you have less than a year on the oil, and your mileage is not due, don't change it.

For synthetics, it's more like 10k miles between oil changes, or 1 year, which ever is sooner. Synthetic blends are more like 5k intervals. Of course, if you're racing or are working your engine harder, shorter intervals between oil changes is probably recommended.

One changes the oil every year because oil can pick up moisture over time, so it's good to replace it yearly.

Local Lindsey Adams Chases Racing Dream

The Dallas Morning News has an article today about a local driver named Lindsey Adams and her quest to be a professional race car driver. Best of luck to her.

Now if I can just get my kids interested in the sport..... Posted by Picasa

Ron Patrick's Street-Legal Jet Powered VW Bug


This is real, folks! Ron Patrick, a CA resident with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, (alas, I only have a BSME) got bored and put a jet engine in his VW bug. Runs on the regular gas engine in front, or with the jet in the back. I wonder what his fuel economy is???

Another local friend and car-nut wants to do the same thing with a Chevy SSR here in Dallas..... Posted by Picasa

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Dallas Car Club

Terry Box at the Dallas Morning News wrote Friday about The Car Club Online, here in Dallas. This is similar to Squadra Pilotti, which I blogged about a few weeks ago. With The Car Club, you join and have access to drive several nice vintage used cars, per club rules. Check them out!

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